Epilogues
by AriTeir
Summary: A series of oneshots detailing the Gaangs lives after the war, possible pairings, Zutara Sukka and Taang.
1. Toph

Epilogues

Epilogues

I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

Toph

It had been Aang's idea, going to visit her parents. They would be worried about her he said, if the war ended and she didn't go back home, if only for a visit. And that was all it was going to be, a visit. Toph had already decided she was going to travel with Aang now that the war was over. She wanted freedom and he was the very epitome of it. But a visit to her parents before the official traveling began couldn't hurt.

Or at least she thought it couldn't, her opinion was shifted when everyone including the newly crowned Fire Lord decided that they would tag along for emotional support. Katara said she hoped he wasn't going to make a habit of disappearing from his country whenever the fancy took him. Zuko shrugged and said Uncle Iroh would be able to hold the proverbial fort down until he got back. Sokka was simply bagging a lift with Suki to Kyoshi island and there was no way Katara was staying in the Fire Nation by herself, she may have agreed to help Zuko with his country but if he was playing hookie so was she!

Toph would have liked to say that it felt good to be home as she stood in front of the gates to the Bei Fong estate but in all honesty it didn't. There was a large knot in her stomach and her feet felt reluctant to move even though the guards had opened the gates and her friends were waiting in the rain behind her. It had been raining on their way to the estate, the Earth kingdom was rather dismal in Autumn.

"Look Toph would you hurry it up, getting wet here!"

Sokka called Suki elbowed him in the ribs. Aang slung an arm around the earthbenders shoulder. She turned to him.

"Go on Toph they're gonna be so happy to see you"

He said.

"Yeah a girl can dream right?"

She gave a nervous laugh as the knot in her stomach tightened. She took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

As she walked through the gardens Toph 'looked' at everything that had changed in her absence. There were several new flower beds, one, a bed of gardenias from the feel of it wasn't doing to well. Her parents must have hired a few new maids because Toph could feel unfamiliar footsteps poised and light. And then she felt familiar footsteps, very familiar footsteps running towards her.

"Toph! Oh Toph!"

And before she ad quite grasped what was going on Toph was swept up into a violent hug from her mother.

"Oh my precious little girl! You're safe! You're back! Oh Toph!"

She cried half crying half laughing as she peppered her daughters face with kisses.

"I was so worried! Your letter! The Fire Nation! Oh but you're safe, you're safe thank the spirits!"

"Your gardenias are dying "

Toph finally managed to get out her mother paused and looked at her.

"My gardenias?"

"To the left in the garden of the bridge of tranquility, your gardenia's are dying"

Toph explained. Poppy Bei Fong in a very unlady like motion wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her gown.

"Oh never mind my gardenias! You're safe that's all that matters! I was so worried I heard about the battles and I was so scared Toph! I was so scared something would happen to you! My sweet, brave, precious little girl!"

She said her face breaking into a wide smile.

" Mom"

Toph stepped out of the embrace.

"I'm not a little girl. I'm the Avatars Earthbending teacher, I'm the blind bandit, I, I'm the worlds only metal bender! I'm not a little girl"

She said softly.

"You're my little girl. My amazing little girl. I'm so proud of the things you did Toph. So ,so proud!"

"Really?"

For a second Toph felt everything pause around her, her mother was proud of her? The helpless little blind girl who she had been too afraid to let out of the house on her own. And a weight lifted from the blind Earthbenders shoulders as she threw her arms around her mother.

"Mom! I missed you too!"


	2. Suki

Suki

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender_

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She hadn't believed Sokka when he told her how cold the South Pole was. Her and Toph, the only two of the Avatar's companions to have not visited the land of the Southern Water Tribe had both scoffed as Katara offered them thick fur parkas in the stifling heat of Omashu, their last stop before the south pole. Suki had experienced some pretty harsh winters back on Kyoshi and it was summer, that counted for something right?

"Yeah no night time, that's what summer counts for in the South Pole, hope you like having your internal clock messed with."

Sokka had commented dryly.

Suki saw now that Sokka wasn't a complete idiot and that she probably should have listened to him and accepted the parka Katara had offered. Anything would have been better than huddling up under several blankets along with Toph, and Aang in Appa's saddle while Katara, Sokka and Zuko (Who being a firebender had a natural advantage) excitedly pointed out ice bergs and penguin colonies.

"Twinkletoes your foots on my kidney!"

Toph complained, from where she was buried under several blankets and resembled little more than a talking lump

"No it's not! My foots with my other foot!"

The lump of blankets next to Tophs said

"Well someone's got a foot on my kidney"

Suki checked her feet, they were both curled up under her in an effort to keep her toes from freezing.

"Hold on Toph I think it might be my elbow on our kidney"

The Aang lump said.

"Everything okay back there?"

Katara asked looking over her shoulder from where she was perched on Appa's head.

"Just peachy, my toes are freezing and Twinkletoes is elbowing my kidney!"

The Toph lump announced

"It's not even there anymore!"

The Aang lump said Katara turned to Suki.

"Feeling nervous yet?"

She asked kindly. Suki remembered with a start that she was supposed to be feeling nervous rather than cold; she was after all meeting the woman who had raised her fiancé, fortunately she had already met her future father in law so at least that was playing on her mind.

"Thanks for reminding me"

Suki sunk lower into her blankets Katara offered a small smile.

"Don't worry Gran Gran'll love you!"

The South Pole far from being the clump of snow Sokka had described it to Suki as was an impressive sight. Crystalline walls of ice surrounded the village, not melting under the onslaught of the sun yet somehow catching the light and warmth with in them to the point where the city almost felt like a mildish winter afternoon. And it was a city. Sokka, Katara, Aang and even Zuko couldn't stop commenting on how everything had changed as they walked through what Suki assumed were streets, she wasn't sure that's what they could be counted as if they were made out of snow.

Sokka lived in a tent. Albeit a large and very homely tent with furs spread across the floor but it was still a tent. Something Suki had definitely not been expecting, nor it seemed did Zuko.

"You grew up in a tent!?"

"Only in the summer months! And I don't know what you're so surprised about it's not like you didn't get a good look at the village when you attacked us1"

Katara told him

"I thought they were for livestock or something!"

"You what! Livestock? How dare you!"

"Katara leave the Fire Lord alone to eat!"

Gran Gran ordered from where she was handing a bowl of five-spice soup to Toph. Whatever Suki had imagined her first meeting with the matriarch of her future husbands family to be like it certainly hadn't been what had taken place. Kana had allowed herself five minutes to be wrapped up in the sheer joy of having her treasured grandchildren home and safe before falling back into her motherly role.

"Katara what are you wearing child you'll catch a cold in that! Quick go put something warmer and more modest on!"

"Yes Gran Gran"

" And Sokka look at you you're far to thin! You need to eat more meat!"

"I love you Gran Gran!"

Once she was finished with Sokka and Katara she turned to Aang.

"And you Avatar you could stand to eat more too a growing boy needs lots of nutrition!"

"No ma'am I don't eat meat!"

Then she went on to Zuko.

"I remember you. The young man who attacked us, my son informs me you've changed since then"

She announced Zuko bowel deeply and began the apology he had been working on since Omashu.

Kana cut him off.

"No need for that. You're forgiven"

Zuko went to express his gratitude but the old woman had turned to Toph who was clinging to Aang's arm completely blind and not liking it at all.

"My granddaughter informs me you see with earthbending, well you're in luck. The penguin colonies aren't far from here they nest on rocky ground in the dry bone valley"

"Great name"

Toph said dryly.

"But apt, pray you don't have to find out why"

Gran Gran said ominously. Aang and Toph shared a nervous glance their curiosity piqued. And finally Suki felt herself stiffen as the old woman's gaze landed on her. She desperately wished her Kyoshi warrior make up hadn't frozen she felt utterly naked without it all of a sudden or maybe that was just the way Sokka's grandmother was giving her the once over with a critical eye.

"And you must be the young woman my Grandson has chosen as his bride"

She announced simply

"Yes ma'am"

Suki bowed formally.

"Call me Gran Gran"

Was all she said.

Bato had shown up around noon and Gran Gran had set about serving everyone steaming bowls of Five-spice soup. She stated with Bato, then Zuko, Aang ,Toph and Suki before serving Hakoda and Sokka. Katara were served last.

"Guests first then men then women.

Katara explained as Suki sipped at her bowl of luke warm soup.

"Suki tell me of your family"

Gran Gran asked suddenly once everyone was seated in a circle with a steaming bowl of soup in their hands on the floor pelts. Suki began to cough over a piece of seaweed Toph punched her in the upper back, hard, causing her to spit it out back into her bowl. Blushing furiously at her very unladylike behavior Suki tried her hardest to regain her composure before turning to the old woman.

"I have no family other than my fellow warriors, my mother died when I was small and my father followed her to the grave barely a year later."

She explained.

"How small?"

Came the next question. Suki strained her mind to remember. She must have been at least five, no six, she was definitely seven when her father died.

"I was six"

She said feeling slightly unnerved at the way everyone was staring at her. So she hadn't actually told any of them about her family before, it wasn't like any of them had asked.

"I, I had no idea"

Sokka said Suki shrugged.

"It's really not that bigger deal. I miss them but life goes on"

Gran Gran nodded slowly

"And your skills how are you at housework"

She said. Sokka let an audible gulp as once again all eyes turned to the Kyoshi warrior

"Housework? Well uh I can sew, sort of and uh I know how to cook some things uh…."

"What sort of wife doesn't know how to cook and sew properly?"

Kana demanded angrily. Suki looked up at the older woman her expression changing from startled to angry.

"I'm a warrior, did your son tell you that? I fought in the war! Hell I was put in prison for aiding the Avatar, the worst Fire nation prison available in fact. The Boiling Rock and I got out. I've been trained since the age of eight to fulfill my duty as a Kyoshi warrior in honor of Avatar Kyoshi. I can't cook, I can barely sew and I haven't the faintest clue about children or cleaning or any of those things. But I love Sokka and I don't care if you think I'll make the worst wife ever because I know that I won't be!"

She yelled forgetting that she was sitting, or rather standing now, in a tent full of people all of whom were looking at her as she glared into kana's blue eyes with a scowl. The old woman's face set into a hard line as she stood up. Suki prepared herself for the onslaught she was certain was coming. But nothing came instead Kana's face broke into a proud smile.

"Good"

She announced, Suki blinked.

"The last thing we need in this family is a quiet little push over. Strong women, it's what this household needs. Wasn't a girl born or married into this house who couldn't handle herself and if I had wanted anything else I would have stayed in the north! Welcome to the family Suki. "

It was like all the tension that had previously existed in the tent had filtered out through the smoke hole in the middle as Kana embraced her future daughter in law.

"Thanks Gran Gran."

Suki returned the hug before sitting back down.

"Told you she'd love you."

That evening Suki sat on the furs covering the floor watching as everyone went about their tasks. Sokka Hakoda And Bato had gone off to get something for dinner, with the sun never setting fully they had no need to worry about being back before a certain time. Toph and Aang were in the middle of a children's game involving the finger bones of some animal. The object from what Suki had seen was to toss them and try to catch as many as possible on the back of your hand Toph was doing quite well despite not being able to see. Zuko and Katara were in a corner arguing over a frozen ink stick. Suki gave a small smile watching them. When suddenly a hand was laid on her shoulder fighting her first instinct which was to cry out and struggle away, she may have gotten out of the boiling rock but some things hadn't quite worked their way out of her yet, Suki turned around to face Kana.

"Come with me"

She said simply offering Suki a hand, she took it. Kana led her to a chest on the other side of the tent her voice soft so that no one else could hear it. Living in a tent didn't do much for personal space or privacy. Kana slowly opened the chest and withdrew a beautiful fur lined robe, decorated with water tribe patterns shells and smooth glassy rocks.

"This"

She said slowly and tenderly

"Was My daughter in laws wedding dress"

"It's beautiful"

Suki breathed her hands itched to reach out and stroke the white fur collar but she kept them firmly at her sides.

"I want you to have it"

Kana stated. Suki's mouth formed a perfect 'o'

"I, I couldn't it's far to lovely, and Katara…"

"Something tells me Katara won't be needing a water tribe wedding dress"

The old woman glanced over to where her granddaughter and the Fire Lord were still fighting over the ink stick.

"Look I'm a Firebender I'll just melt the ink"

"And I'm a waterbender so I'll defrost it!"

"It's my ink stick give it here!"

" Well I was going to use it to write my letter"

'It's not your letter, since when was it your letter?"

"Since I was the one who suggested we write it and since it was my idea I'm doing the writing!"

"Have you seen your calligraphy? it's horrendous! My uncle would think Momo was sending him a letter!"

"Oh just like a pampered little prince you can't have your way so you turn to insults, typical"

"Pampered prince? This coming from you a, a tent savage!"

"Tent Savage? Tent Savage! Ooh I'll show you savage!"

At this point Katara threw the ink stick at Zuko's head proving that although the outside may have been frozen the ink inside was still liquid. Black ink began to trickle down the Fire Lords forehead.

"Oh I'm so sorry about that Zuko, too bad you don't know any Waterbenders who'd be happy to help you with all that ink, or healers for that matter, you know just in case you get some in your eye"

Katara said sweetly before joining in with Toph and Aang's game. Suki could swear she saw the ink drying upon his skin as the Fire lord clenched his fists, the tent also started to feel warmer. Suki turned back to Kana who wore a knowing smile.

"I still couldn't possibly accept this I mean it was… Hakoda wouldn't approve"

She said lamely

"In the Water Tribe family is everything. Hakoda would approve of you wearing this Suki by agreeing to wear that necklace you have become as much of a daughter to him as Katara. This dress is yours to wear on your wedding"

Kana transferred the dress gently from her arms to Suki's.

"You'll wear it and you'll look beautiful."

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STORY NOTES

Canon: I have no idea as to what Suki's family was like and once again my ability to disregard any shred of Canon astounds even me.

Dry Bones: In the New Zealand Anataric region there is a valley made of stones called the dry valley because despie being incredibly cold the humidity level is zero. These are the perfect conditions for preserving meats and making jerky, also mumification. The best example of preserved mummies come from the artic cirlce and the Atatcama desert, where the conditons are either extermely hot or cold and the humitity is zero. Inuits did not practise mumification but it happened naturally due to the condidtions. Creppy yes but true.


End file.
